Tories fight against moving Eastwood Leisure Centre

Dawn Renton

Published:09:00Tuesday 11 September 2018

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East Renfrewshire MP Paul Masterton, Eastwood MSP Jackson Carlaw and the East Renfrewshire Conservative Council group have insisted that the leisure centre must not be built on Broomburn Park or Shawwood, in Newton Mearns.

The results of a public consultation by the Council voted narrowly in favour of moving the leisure facility.

The Tories are claiming that both Broomburn Park and Shawwood look like likely locations.

However, East Renfrewshire Council has not identified any possible locations for the new centre.

Mr Masterton and Mr Carlaw have also raised questions regarding the legitimacy of the results after the voting seemed to exclude more than one vote per household.

And they claimed that further problems such as elderly residents not being able to access an online only consultation have also been raised.

The Conservative politicians say that they are not against a re-build of Eastwood Leisure Centre on its current site at Eastwood Park but stand firmly opposed to any movement to green space out with this location.

The Conservative politicians said that the consultation didn’t respect the views of the community who live near the new facility and who would be most affected by a new centre.

East Renfrewshire MP and Eastwood’s MSP had previously written to residents within the immediate vicinity to Broomburn Park last year and found that over 95 per cent the community were against any proposal to build on the park.

The politicians further commented that transport infrastructure around the new locations that they have identified for the facility would not be suitable for the expected traffic.

Mr Masterton commented: “Local residents near Broomburn Park are against this proposal. Meanwhile no solutions have been proposed by the council to solve congestion problems such a new leisure centre would bring. The costs for moving the leisure centre, at a time when the budget is being slashed from Holyrood is cause for concern.

“We would rather see the leisure centre re-built in its current location, saving money to be spent on education and our failing roads.”

Mr Carlaw added: “Questions must be asked about a consultation which failed to appreciate that many elderly residents would be unable not contribute online, but which also choose to exclude more than one representation per household, even in cases in multiple occupancy.

“It would be interested for the council to confirm whether those who do not reside in East Renfrewshire were able to participate. Let’s not forget, that 96 per cent of residents responding to our own consultation last year voted against any development on the Broompark site. That message could not have been clearer. They can be assured that we will stand up for Newton Mearns.”